Plant of the Week
Named after gifted gardener Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonia diphylla is a delightful woodland perennial grown in horticultural zones 5 through 7. Each leaf is split down the middle into two nearly separate parts, hence its colloquial name, twinleaf. It is happiest under a deciduous tree as it enjoys soaking up the early spring sunlight before the canopy fills out. Blooming from April to May, twinleaf sports the sweetest little white flowers.
Guest
Peggy Cornett, Monticello’s Curator of Plants, has been with the Monticello gardens and grounds department since 1983. Under her leadership as “straw boss,” Monticello completed a ten-year restoration of Jefferson’s formidable vegetable garden. Thanks to Jefferson’s compulsive record-keeping, Monticello is one of the best-documented gardens in America. More discoveries are always forthcoming as Peggy and her colleagues work to interpret and adapt to T.J.’s vision. I encourage you to check out www.monticello.org for upcoming events like Gregory Britt’s online flower arranging workshop on April 10th!
Playlist
I’m back with more pruning advice. What else is new?
If your forsythia is getting too crowded or has finished blooming, go forth and prune!
Hold off on pruning spring-flowering shrubs until after they flower.
I’m not much of a vegetable gardener—isn’t that what farmer’s markets are for? I kid… sort of... Now is the time to direct-sow your cool winter veggies like arugula, radishes, turnips, beets, lettuce, and greens.
Start your tomato seeds inside. My expert advice? Read the directions!
To Listen
Channel your inner Thomas Jefferson with Haydn’s string quartets.